'No evidence seen Chris Christie knew of traffic scheme'

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie gestures during the Super Bowl hand-off ceremony on Super Bowl Boulevard in Times Square, as part of the Super Bowl lead up in New York on Feb 1, 2014. A New Jersey Democrat leading a probe of the bridge traffic scandal that has engulfed Governor Chris Christie said on Sunday he has seen no evidence to support claims that the governor had been aware of the apparently politically motivated traffic jams as they happened. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

NEW YORK (REUTERS) - A New Jersey Democrat leading a probe of the bridge traffic scandal that has engulfed Governor Chris Christie said on Sunday he has seen no evidence to support claims that the governor had been aware of the apparently politically motivated traffic jams as they happened.

The remarks by Assemblyman John Wisniewski, who co-leads the probe, came two days after a former Christie appointee at the agency overseeing the bridge who personally oversaw the lane closures said "evidence exists" that Mr Christie had knowledge of the blockage when it happened. If such evidence does exist, a state panel investigating the closures has not yet seen it, Mr Wisniewski said.

Mr Klingeman also said Ms Renna was among several top aides who have until Monday to respond to subpoenas in the scandal. However, in a statement provided by Mr Klingeman, Ms Renna said she had been considering leaving since shortly after Mr Christie's re-election last fall.

"I have spent almost four years working hard for a Governor I continue to respect and admire," Ms Renna said in the statement."The transition from term one to term two is a natural time to pursue an opportunity in the private sector."

Mr Christie, who is considered a leading Republican candidate for the White House in 2016, has repeatedly denied any knowledge of a plan to snarl traffic last September in Fort Lee, New Jersey, near the busy George Washington Bridge that connects New Jersey and New York City and severed ties with several top aides over their role in the incident.

Mr Christie has been dogged by scandal for more than a month since it emerged that several of his top aides and appointees called for lane closures leading to the busiest bridge in the United States, apparently as retribution against the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee for not endorsing the governor's re-election campaign.

Mr Christie has repeatedly denied having any knowledge of the scheme and dismissed two of his top aides for their roles in it.

Still, the scandal has hurt his image and recent polls show him losing ground as a potential presidential contender.

Register here to get free digital access to The Straits Times until Aug 9, 2015.

Follow ST

The Straits Times

We have been experiencing some problems with subscriber log-ins and apologise for the inconvenience caused. Until we resolve the issues, subscribers need not log in to access ST Digital articles. But a log-in is still required for our PDFs.